Target Marketing Magazine’s Direct Marketer of the Year Brian Kurtz writes:
A close friend and world class copywriter recently said to me:
“If I don’t change something, I’m gonna stay stuck in this copywriter gig, making $15k/promo, working my ass off, sweating blood and spending MONTHS working on each promo…then left wondering how long my control will last until they hire somebody to beat me.”
The result:
As Brian says, the trend is moving from work-for-hire copywriters… to copywriters “marrying” a client where they serve as both copywriter and a sort of consultant — getting paid not just fees, but either % of the company sales or even a a piece of the company, etc.
It’s a good trend, too.
But, it’s not without its swamps, either.
Couple thoughts for copywriters who get turned on by this:
1. Been there, done that
I got in my first writer-client relationship (of the sort above) back in 2009 (for the very same reasons today’s copywriters are finding that arrangement so attractive) and it was (due to my own stupidity) a near disaster.
Why?
I wrote ALL the ads and emails that helped quickly take that start-up company to over $200k per *month*… and yet, I made probably less than $15k in the 1.5 years I worked with them. (And even then, I had to chase the owner down some months for my meager little royalties.)
But, really, it was all my fault.
For one:
I got in bed with the most unethical guys I’ve ever done business with.
Oddly enough, they were great at first.
But, like my friend Michael Senoff told me years ago when he and I first did business together (I wrote ads for his products, we split the sales), “people change when big money comes into play” — and, so it was.
And secondly:
I was naive about the deal.
I “settled” (no pun) for 5% of the sales of a non-existent continuity program. Continuity was the carrot constantly dangled in front of me. “When continuity is launched… you’ll be easily doing xyz per month Ben, but first, we need you to write the ad for this other product…” (which I wasn’t getting paid on in any way, shape, or form). Then, when continuity finally launched, they barely ever promoted it. I doubt it was mailed for more than 2 or 3 times.
Again, completely my own fault.
I naively believed when I should have been questioning.
And, in hindsight, I should have demanded a % of the company sales overall (not just continuity) — especially since all the emails and sales letters were written by Yours Unruly and I think it’s safe to say I had at least that much to do with the overall sales. Plus, there were some other precautions I should have taken, too (like rights to look at the accounting, and not be a cheapskate and spend the money to hire an accountant to do so every quarter, amongst other things.)
Anyway, I made lots of mistakes.
And, maybe you can benefit from them.
What about the other deal?
It lasted exactly one year before I bailed.
I got paid 1% of the overall company sales (they were doing over $500k – $1 million per month most months and a $5k per month base. The money in that deal was great, and the people were also great (they never tried any funny bid’niz and were always straight with me about everything). But I realized about 5 months in I was still basically a glorified employee, subject to the same whims and Friday night rush jobs as any other work-for-hire bloke and, well, that’s just not my bag.
Anyway, my point is this:
This new copywriting trend can be good.
It can be very good, in fact.
And profitable.
But, it’s not without its pitfalls.
More:
I think Brian Kurtz is spot on correct. Copywriters with lots of talent and options are definitely going in the direction of marrying one big client instead of doing an endless string of one-night-stands.
But, there’s another trend emerging, too.
Here’s what I wrote to Brian right after reading his email:
… there’s also a handful of copywriters who simply decide to be our own best clients. And only sell our own stuff, while outsourcing traffic, etc… I’ve been doing that for almost 6 years, and most recently Kevin Rogers told me he finally decided to do it too. If it does happen more widespread then it could completely reverse the whole game where copywriters will be the new clients.
Strange times…
Strange, but EXCITING, too, as Brian replied.
And you know what else is exciting?
The beauty of the email system I teach in my “Email Players” newsletter is it can make you far more attractive to would-be clients looking for a marriage arrangement (i.e. you work for only them, they give you a piece of overall sales) than even copywriters with more talent and experience than you. And, of course, it can also make YOU a lot of extra dineros if you decide to brave the elBenbo route and be your own client, selling your own products, and keeping all the booty for your righteous self.
Either way, my system can get you to the goal faster.
And, I daresay, it can get you there 10x’s faster than you’re going now.
Enter the February “Email Players” issue.
It goes to the printer Friday.
(Time’s short to get it.)
And, it’s a perfect example of the kind of mindset and attitude to have if you’re going to cater to clients or if you’re going to do your own thing. The mindset I teach inside the February issue pages is some of the most controversial and (to some people no doubt) *repulsive* info you’ll probably ever read in the marketing world.
At least, I hope it is…
It certainly ain’t for the mush cookie, boot-licking types.
Or, for people who are afraid to have their opinions and assumptions challenged.
(If that’s you, the next issue will do you zero good, don’t even bother.)
For everyone else?
Here’s where to subscribe:
Ben Settle
